SOME Public leaders will face disciplinary and legal actions if they fail to beat today’s deadline of submitting dully filled assets, wealth and debt declaration forms.
In a statement made to the media last Tuesday, Ethics Secretariat Commissioner (rtd) Judge Harold Nsekela said only 2,369 public leaders, estimated as 17 per cent had returned their filled forms to the Secretariat.
In the statement, the remaining 11,330 leaders (83 per cent) by Tuesday had not yet submitted their forms.
However, by today at least 13,600 leaders are supposed to fill and submit the forms. Leading by example, President John Magufuli, being the Head of the State as a public servant, met the requirement by beating the deadline with his forms submitted
On Sunday, President Magufuli, through his Private Secretary Mr Ngusa Samike, submitted his dully filled assets and liabilities declaration forms to the Secretariat.
The move sent a clear message to other public leaders to honour their constitutional obligations. Filling the declaration forms is mandatory for every public leader as stated in the Public Leadership Code of Ethics Act, backed up as a legal and constitutional requirement.
Receiving the president’s forms Commissioner Judge Nsekela stated that Dr Magufuli implemented his constitutional obligation that requires every leader to submit his/her dully filled declaration forms indicating property, revenue and debts on annual basis.
“I remind all leaders to use the remaining two days to bring in their forms, because it is implementing the constitutional requirement(s),” he had said.
He said the President last year directed them to set a deadline for the submissions, and those who would delay face disciplinary actions.
“I will implement the President’s directive after December 31st deadline without fear not even favour,” said retired Judge Nsekela.
One of the measures that the Secretariat would take against those who would fail to declare their wealth would include bringing them before the Leadership Ethics Tribuna
